-Highlights Indian blatant HR violations in IoK
-Says India’s hostile behaviour poses a serious threat to regional peace
-Claims Pakistan desires peaceful region, economic development
-Expresses satisfaction over Intra-Afghan talks, reaffirms support to peace process
By Our Diplomatic
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said India’s hostile behaviour poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region.
Addressing the virtual meeting of Conservative Friends of Pakistan, the foreign minister said he has written a number of letters to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on the Indian posture.
Referring to Indian blatant human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that on the 5th of August last year, New Delhi illegally and unilaterally attempted to alter the disputed status of the territory in clear violations of international laws.
He said India should be pressurized to stop human rights violations in the occupied territory and move towards resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions.FM Qureshi said the commencement of intra afghan dialogue is a significant and positive development for regional peace.
He said Pakistan has facilitated the US-Taliban peace agreement signed in Doha early this year. On the domestic front, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said things have started improving due to the structural reforms initiated by the present government regardless of the challenge posed by Covid-19. He said we have recorded current account plus for the first time in many years whilst other economic indicators are also showing improvement. Our domestic tax collection has increased by thirty percent. The remittances for the first time crossed twenty billion dollars. The confidence of investors is improving as a result of our policies.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said successful intra-Afghan talks can crop up as a milestone towards regional stability and the Afghan peace process, as he met Pakistani Special Representative for Afghanistan on Tuesday. The two deliberated at length over stability and peace in both Afghanistan in particular and the whole region in general, noting that the ongoing peace talks can principally contribute to it.
Muhammad Sadiq briefed the minister for foreign affairs on the status of the Afghan peace process and also expanded on the intra-Afghan talks taking place in Doha, to which FM Qureshi said that the success in talks can herald peace and stability in the region. Foreign Minister noted that the peace and stability in the region are conditioned with peaceful and successful Afghan talks. It is pertinent to note that FM Qureshi recently met the Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) of Afghanistan Dr Abdullah Abdullah wherein the discussed the peace process and the relevant matter concerning the two neighbours.
HCNR Chairman Abdullah acknowledged Pakistani contribution towards the peace process and the underway intra-Afghan talks and said that the sincere efforts led to the Qatar agreement and wished that Afghan leadership may make the most of the unique opportunity.
Abdullah also said that for the repatriation of Afghan refugees and for its economic stability, the global community is to play its part while the foreign minister said Pakistan desires dignified return of millions of Afghan refugees to their homeland.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has lauded the role of Pakistani diaspora in building relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom and strengthening the people-to-people contacts.
In his keynote address from Islamabad to the virtual reception of Conservative Friends of Pakistan in UK, the Foreign Minister highlighted the contributions made by British Pakistanis, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Qureshi also paid rich tributes to members of Pakistani community who lost their lives in fight against COVID-19. He highlighted the effects of COVID-19 on global economy and outlined the actions taken by government of Pakistan to tackle the challenge through ‘smart lockdown’ policy.
